I thought it might be interesting to learn who writers read. I've compiled a short list (10 names) of the writers I read and enjoy the most (with a slight cheat). I'm asking other 'realmers to do the same. Writers should be current and still working (no "deaders"), but that's the only rule. Here's my list (in no particular order)

Thanks ente per ente for the list, I will try and obtain some. Must admit that I hadn't heard of all, but the Stephen King author.

I'm reading The Shining at the moment, the one filmed of course.What a wonderful human story, full of human interest. A family fighting not just evil entities but also human weakness in the character of the father Jack. A pot boiler and page turner all rolled into the script.Thanks again.

I've got quite a few older books I've been trying to read. Once I start on an author's books, I usually try to read everything by them. I'm a bit of an obsessive completionist. And some of these deaders have written a LOT of books. ;D

Here's my list of recently read, in the process of reading, or starting soon:

A. E. van Vogt - recently finished The Mixed Men, in the middle of The Weapon Shops of Isher

The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF an anthology by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer. It includes a lot of classic Hard SF stories.

Joseph Campbell - The Masks of God - 4 volumes. I've been chipping away at this for a while, and it's going to take a while more.

Isaac Asimov - There are still a lot of his classic series I haven't read. The last novel I read was The Stars, Like Dust.

Robert Heinlein - I'm about 2/3 of the way through his books. The Door into Summer is in the queue.

Jules Verne - I've read about 15 of Verne's novels, so quite a few to go yet. Some might consider Verne's novels to be a little dry these days, and some of the translations are better than others, but I like to tackle a new Verne every few books.

Edgar Rice Burroughs - same, still working my way through the shelf. I've read some of the Mars books, some of the Tarzan books, some of the Pelucidar books, and I have the Venus books to read too.

American Sonnets - part of the American Poets Project published by Library of America. I have quite a few of these books which typically focus on a single American poet. It's a nice way to build a collection of American poetry.

Piers Anthony - Xanth is a bit of a guilty pleasure.

E. E. "Doc" Smith - I have a copy of Triplanetary I started recently, and the rest of the lensmen series will have to follow.

How's that?

I also have books by several of the authors on both Gary's lists and ente per ente's list sitting and waiting for me to read them.

With so many great writers, past and present, it seems odd that sci-fi has such a low opinion rating from the masses. Yet at the same time Hollywood is pumping out movies of a sci-fi genre left and right.

Perhaps the techno wave running through society makes sci-fi seem like a normal trend. Such as cell phone designed to look like Star trek communicators so that now sci-fi is mundane reality.

DARPA has a "Terminator" prototype robot which will soon be either as battle suit like in "Avatar" or a Terminator battle robot.

NASA has ion drive motors for really long distance travel.

Space X has a rocket that hovers just like the 1950's movies.

Meanwhile the Dystopian society predicted in so many sci-fi novels seems to be unfolding before our very eyes.

In days gone by I used to buy "The Years Best Science Fiction" edited by Gardner Dozois every single year without fail.However in the last couple of years I nave been remiss in keeping up with my old habits which I do find that I miss.

I ponder how I had the time to do so when I was younger but now cannot find the time to do so when the days still have 24 hours each.

Some political type reading that I have enjoyed in the past.1. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley2. 1984 by George Orwell3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury4. Atlas Shrugged by Ann Rand5. Neuromancer and also Snow Crash by William Gibson6. The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson7. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Great reading list, Webbie. Very much like mine, I admit. I can't seem to get into the newer writers. Of course I despise Neil Gaiman because he slighted our beloved Anotherealm.

Yes, he really did.

I used to go to a number of s-f cons and buttonhole some of the interesting authors there, to do an article about them for our dear Anotherealm. So, at one con I saw Neil Gaiman -- who at that time was still pretty unheard-of. He was talking to a couple of people, so I waited until they were finished, then asked him if I could interview him for AR.

He said okay, then some other people came up and wanted to talk to him. I figured since he was a young author starting out he would want to make as many friends as possible, so I deferred to the other people and told him I'd like to email him some questions, for an article for AR.

He said okay, and gave me his email address. After the con was over and we got home, I emailed him my few questions -- about five, as I recall.

No response out of him.

I emailed him twice more, then realized he was obviously blowing off my request.

And _blowing_off_Anotherealm!

So to myself I said, "That's it for you, Neil Gaiman. Anyone who disrespects my beloved Anotherealm is _dead_ to me."

Yes, like that really hurt him a lot. Of course it didn't. But I still despise him, and that's why.